Head over heels
by punkkie
Summary: A young woman dreams of a different life than her father wants for her. The coming of the Musketeers will change everything for her and she has to choose. The old or the new? Aramis/OFC
1. Chapter 1

**_Another idea for a very short story. I came up with it during my workinghours. Read and enjoy._**

It was already afternoon and nothing had happened that day. It was hot outside. Merana was cleaning the tables while she wiped sweat from her forehead.

'My god, it's so hot in here.' She complained under her breath. She worked at the local inn in a village near Paris. Her whole life she had lived there and she wanted to see more from the world outside, if it was not her father, the owner of the inn, who wanted his daughter to be married, having children and grow old like every other woman. Merana wanted more than that. She desired a whole different life than her father wished for her.

Merana went over to open the window. A cool breeze entered the inn and caressed her neck and face. For a moment she stood there, welcoming the cool breeze.

'I beg your pardon, madame. But are there any rooms for rent?' A voice startled Merana. She jumped around, for not falling over she grabbed the windowsill behind her.

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.' He laughed at her.

'No, it's fine.' She gave him a smile of her own. 'Father!' She called to the back of the inn.

'One moment, please. My father will be here soon to inform you.' She said and hurried to the kitchen. Merana leaned on the counter, she sighed and a smile curled her lips.

'What is it my dear?' Miss Direr approached her. 'Did I miss something?'

Miss Direr was the cook of the inn. She made the most marvelous meals and her pastries were known in the whole village. When Merana's mother died, she was five years old, during giving birth to her younger brother, Miss Direr made a fine young woman of Merana. She taught her how to cook, do the laundry and most of all how to cherish the most beautiful things in life. Merana was gratefull for having her in her life.

'Nothing, Delphine.' She smiled vague. Delphine was her first name and she was the only one who called her by her first name.

'Your eyes are telling me different.' She said and placed firmly her hands on her hips. 'Tell me, my child.'

A deep sigh escaped Merana's breath and fumbled at her apron. 'I...I just met the most handsome man in the whole world.' She twirled around while she dreamed of him.

'Tell me!' Delphine said excited.

'Deep brown eyes, mustache and beard and a perfect smile.' She sighed while she dropped on a chair.

'Merana!' Her dream stopped when her father called her. 'Work to do, child.' Delphine gave her a hug. 'What does he want me to do now!' Merana sighed sadly and made her way out of the kitchen.

**_Please tell me what you think!_**


	2. Chapter 2

Merana walked from the kitchen back into the inn. The four men still stood there while her father was searching for something. The man who addressed her earlier smiled at her when she entered the room. A warm feeling was felt on her cheeks when they turned red. She saw another man pointed with his elbow in the side. A little smile curled her lips again.

'What is it father?' She looked away from them and saw her father still fumbling through those papers. 'I can't find that book, with all our rooms in it.' He sighed, put his hands on his hips and looked at his daughter.

'Have you seen it?' He asked her. Merana walked over to her father and a she had to laugh.

'My dear father, it lies here. Right under your nose.' She grabbed a brown leather book from the counter and gave it to her father.

She heard the men laugh and they approached them. 'Well, monsieur. Are there any rooms available?' A younger man asked.

Father looked quizzically at the young man before he remembered his task.

'Oh, yes. Ofcourse, let me see..Oh my, Merana have you've seen my glasses?' He felt at his clothes, around his neck and looked around him, no glasses to be found.

'No, I haven't.'She told him and wandered around in search for his glasses. After a couple of minutes an old woman strode from the kitchen and approached all of them. 'You're looking for this one?' Delphine held up his glasses in her hand while she walked further to the counter to lean on .

'How do you get it?' Father looked surprised and both angry at her.

'I needed it.' She simply stated. 'Well, my job is done for the day. Pour me glass of red wine, will you.'

'You should not drink at your age.' Father told her. 'It's not good for you.'

'Oh my friend, you don't even know what's good for your own girl, so don't talk about me.' She said while she sipped her wine.

Father looked at Delphine with fire in his eyes, he was about to comment on her when someone cleared his throat.

'Yes, well, can you still look for our rooms, please?' The younger man asked.

'Yes, let me see.' He put on his glasses and looked in the book. 'I have some rooms left for rent. How many do you want?'

'Two is fine.' An older man said. Father and Delphine looked at the four men with a foul expression on their faces.

'Oh, it's not what you think. We are not like that! We're brothers.' Again another man joined in the conversation.

Father and Delphine looked at each other and she drunk the rest of her cup in one swing.

'Well, that's okay.' Father cleared his throat. 'Merana, my dear, would you mind bringing these gentleman to their rooms and make sure their beds are made up?' He approached her.

'Sure father.' She went back to get the cloths and gestured them to follow her to the rooms.

She entered the first room, two separate beds stood in each corner. A small fireplace was build in the middle of the room like a little campfire. Merana opened the window and started to made up their beds.

The second room was the same as the first one. 'I'm sorry you had to witness that downstairs between them. They are like water and fire. Sometimes they are the best friends and two seconds later they bite each other's head off.' She smiled a small smile at her own description.

'Don't mind it miss, we're used to that.' One of them said.

'If there is anything you need, just call me.' She made her way back to the stairs but stopped when she heard footsteps approaching her from behind.

Merana turned around to look into those deep brown eyes.

'Yes?' She asked him.

He took of his hat, held it for his chest and smiled at her. 'May I enquire your name?'

'My name is Merana, and yours?'

'I'm Aramis.' He said. 'It's a pleasure to meet you.' He took her hand and planted a kiss on top of it.

Merana felt her cheeks turning a shade of red and she couldn't help but smile.

'The pleasure is at my side.' She curtsied.

'Would you like to join me for a walk after dinner?' Aramis asked her. Merana was taken aback at his sudden request.

'I..I would love to monsieur Aramis.' She smiled at him.

'I'll see you outside by the door, Miss Merana?' He looked hopefully at her.

'I will be there.' She nodded and almost slid down the stairs. She ran along her father, who looked at her with a query look, into the kitchen. He shook his head and turned his attention back to his work.

'What's wrong with you?' Delphine laughed at the young woman.

Merana's breath caught and her hands flew to her mouth, she looked at the woman in front of her and a smile crept on her face.

'I have a date.' She finally said. 'What? Who? When? Tell me.' Delphine pulled up a chair and they both sat down.

'Tonight, after dinner.' Merana said.

'With that handsome young man?' Delphines eyes whined with excitement.

Merana nodded.

'What's his name?'

'Aramis.' She felt a strange feeling entering her belly when she spoke of him.

Delphine looked at her and took her in her arms. 'You are a grown woman.' She let her go.

'Let's have dinner soon my child. The sooner you can go to your handsome soldier and make this night one you will never forget.'

**_The next chapter will contain the date and it will be all about Aramis and Merana. This was actually more a little filler to know more about Delphine and Father because they are going to play a big role in this story. If you have any ideas which you like me to work in this story please let me know..:D_**


	3. Chapter 3

Merana had finished her meal and waited impatiently till Delphine and her Father were done eating. Since she can remember it was used to sit at the table till everyone was finished or when Father gave permission to leave the table.

She looked at Delphine who's plate was empty, she had already finished. Delphine met her gaze and gave her a wink. Slowly Merana's gaze went to her father and saw how slow he ate. Normally she wouldn't mind it, but today was different. She wanted to leave and met Aramis outside as planned.

Merana let out a sigh.

'What's the matter?' Father looked at his daughter while he finally took his last bite.

Another sigh escaped her mouth. She couldn't tell him about tonight. He would gave her extra chores to do, she couldn't use that right now.

'May I leave the table?' She asked him.

'Aren't you well, my dear?' He looked concerned at her face trying to recognize any sign of sickness.

'No, I'm not. Don't worry Father.' She smiled a small smile at hem to reassure him everything was fine.

'Why the hurry then, my dear? We haven't had dessert yet.' He lend back into his chair and wiped his face clean with a napkin.

'I don't feel for a dessert tonight.' She looked apologetic at him.

Father looked at her in almost shock. 'I had Delphine sent to the market to get strawberries. You love those!'

'I know, but I'm not hungry anymore. I've eaten enough.' Merana defended herself.

Delphine knew that Father would not let this be. He would try to get Merana eat the strawberries, even if she had said a hundred of times she didn't want them. You could say, it was fatherly love.

'There were no strawberries today at the market.' Delphine interfered and earned a thankful gaze from Merana for helping her out.

'Rubbish.' Father threw his napkin at the table. 'The farmer keeps them apart for me every week.'

'He's sick today.' Delphine lied. She had been to the market to get them, but she knew Merana was in a hurry to meet the young man.

'Oh, poor man.' He said. 'Must be his back again.' He said to no one in particular.

'Well, can I please leave the table?' Merana asked again.

'Yes, you can.' Father said and Delphine began to clean the table.

Merana went to her room, she freshened herself up, made a braid in her long dark hair and got dressed in a simple but beautiful gown. It was special to her because it was her mother's. She only wears it on special occasions. For her, this was a special occasion.

When she walked downstairs she hoped her father wouldn't see her. The stair made a cracking sound and she almost flinched at it herself. Merana peeked around the corner and lucky for her, he was not in there.

She opened the door, Aramis stood there with his back facing her. She took in the sight in front of her and felt the same warmth in her belly.

When he heard the door cracking open he saw her standing in the doorway. He looked at her and felt a strange feeling in his belly. He had women before but he never knew this feeling. A strange tickling and he even felt nervous.

'Good evening.' He took off his hat and made a bow.

'Good evening.' She said while she took his outstretched hand to assist her walking of the stairs.

'You look beautiful.' He said with a smile when she hooked up her arm in his.

'Thank you.' A small blush covered her cheeks and she smiled back.

For a few minutes they walked in silence, enjoying each other's company.

'Did you grew up here?' Aramis her curious while he took in his surroundings.

'Yes.' She answered. ' The inn is in my family for generations. My father is very proud of it, he wants me to take it over when he can't run it anymore.'

'You sound like you don't like the idea.' He looked at her to see the expression on her face, unfortunately it was too dark to see.

'It's not that I don't want it, it's just..' she sighed, 'I have a different view on life than my father has planned out for me.'

'What does he wishes for you?' Aramis asked curiously.

'He wants me to marry the son of the farmer, so that I have a good man that can take care of me.'

'And you? What do you think of it?' More curiosity was to be heard in his voice.

'I want to choose my own husband. I want to marry a man I truly love.'

A relieve washed over Aramis. For a moment he was afraid she followed her father's dream, but still, he wasn't sure. He couldn't understand these feelings for this woman. He hardly knows her, but the sight of another man loving her made him feeling hurt.

'He seems a very friendly man who loves you dearly.' He said. 'Your father I mean.'

'He is, and I don't want to hurt him by choosing my own way.'

'If he wants you to be happy, than it doesn't matter who you'll marry.'

'That's easy to say for you.' She told him.

Aramis laughed.

'My parents wanted me to become a priest. I choose the other way and became a musketeer. You have to follow your heart, Merana. It's the one thing that guides us.'

'What does your mother think of all this?' Merana's heart skipped a beat, it hurts her to talk about her mother. She knew, Aramis could not know, she couldn't blame him for his question.

'My mother died when I was five while giving birth to my brother. Sadly enough, he was born too early.' A deep sigh escaped her and Aramis felt her tense.

'I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked.'

'Please don't feel sorry. You couldn't know.'

They wandered through the village, talking and enjoying each other's company. Merana got to know him better, he was a Musketeer, a loyal and dear friend and he has made a stop by a lake. Aramis helped her on the tree trunk that lay in the middle of this little paradise. It was surrounded by trees and bushes, it was full moon and the light shone brightly in the company of many stars.

'I've always loved this place.' Merana said and looked with a small smile around her.

'It's beautiful here.' He agreed and took in the sight. Little crickets were heard in the distacne.

'Have you travelled a lot?' She looked curious at his face and met his gaze.

'Yes, I've travelled through the whole of France and many more places. You've ever been to Paris?'

'No, I love to see it once.'

'When you're there I will be your guide and show you the most beautiful places.'

'Thank you.'

'There is something I don't understand. A woman like you must have had a lot of proposals.' He took in her sight and saw she looked up at the stars.

'I had.' She finally said. 'But there is the issue of my father again. He wants me to marry Gerard, the farmer's son I told you about, so he refuses every offer.'

'I wish it was different.' She added. 'Have you ever been in love?' Merana looked at him.

This time Aramis took his eyes of her and it was his turn to look at the sky and to choose his words carefully. He loved Isabella, at least he thought. He was supposed to marry her, but was taking away by her father. Now he wasn't sure if it was love he felt back then or he felt it was his duty to marry her because she was carrying his child.

'There was a girl.' He finally said. 'We were supposed to get married.'

Merana looked apologetic at him, she truly felt sorry for him.

'What happened?' she asked carefully.

'Her father took her away, but now I think of it, I never truly loved her.' He smiled softly at her.

'Was it an arranged marriage?' Curiosity took the control over her mind.

'No, not really.' He answered. 'She got pregnant and I felt it my duty to marry her.'

Merana's mouth formed an 'o' . 'What happened to the child?'

'She lost it and her father send her away.' Aramis stood and took Merana's hand in his.

'Let us get back. Your father must be worried.' He said and helped her stand up and both made their way back to the inn.

'I'm sorry for you Aramis.' Merana felt guilty for his loss.

'Don't feel sorry Merana. I'm glad things turned out the way it did, or I never met you.' He put a strand of hair out of her face. Merana looked to the ground.

'Thank you for this wonderful evening.' She said while he kissed her hand.

'The pleasure is at my side.' He took her words from earlier and smiled charming at her.

Merana could not hide her smile.

'Will I see you tomorrow?' Aramis asked hopefully.

'Yes.' She said and walked over to the stairs but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. Aramis turned her around and planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

'Goodnight, Merana.'

'Goodnight, Aramis.'

**Reviews are appreciated..:)**


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